Abstract
BACKGROUND
There have been some investigations concerning the role of p53, p21 and bcl-2 protein expressions for the tumorigenesis of thyroid cancer. It had been debated that these protein expressions were associated with aggressive features of papillary thyroid carcinoma. We studied to evaluate the prevalence of these protein expressions and their clinical significances in papillary thyroid carcinoma. METHODS: We selected 49 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma who had been operated on at Samsung Medical Center during the last 10 years. Immunohistochemical staining for p53, p21 and bcl-2 was done by the use of paraffin embedded tissues. We analyzed the results of immunohistochemical staining for p53, p21 and bcl-2 and the correlation with the patients' age, gender, tumor size, multifocality, tumor invasion to both lobes, extrathyroidal invasion, cervical lymph node invasion, distant metastasis and the clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical staining for p53 was positive in 10 patients (20%), p21 was positive in 36 patients (73%) and bcl-2 was positive in 18 patients (37%). The p53 and bcl-2 expressions were not associated with the clinical parameters. Tumor multifocality and extrathyroidal invasion were significantly higher in the p21 positive group (both P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study showed that the p21 protein expression was associated with tumor multifocality and extrathyroidal invasion in the patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma. Immunohistochemical stains for p21 may be used as a parameter for tumor aggressiveness in papillary thyroid carcinoma.
Citations
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- Clinicopathologic and Diagnostic Significance of p53 Protein Expression in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Mi Kyung Shin, Jeong Won Kim
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention.2014; 15(5): 2341. CrossRef